UCLA pops Warriors' bubble

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

PROVO, Utah — It took the University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team 23 minutes to travel from its rustic mountain cabin to the Smith Fieldhouse, 45 minutes to warm up for the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament championship match against UCLA and 120 minutes to bury its dream.

Hawai'i's Kimo Tuyay looks on as Costas Theocharidis attempts a dig against UCLA. Kevin Lee • Special to The Advertiser

UCLA, like the other two conference tournament champions, earns an automatic berth in this week's NCAA final four in Long Beach, Calif.

In theory, the Warriors are in contention for the lone at-large berth. In reality, they have a snowball's chance in Wai'anae.

"I'm voting for the Warriors," UH coach Mike Wilton said, basing his argument on the semifinal victory over top-ranked Brigham Young. "But I don't get to vote, of course."

The selection committee will award the at-large berth this morning. BYU, also the No. 1 seed in this tournament, is believed to be the overwhelming favorite.

"It would be nice to go," UH setter Kimo Tuyay said. "But I think BYU is pretty much going to go. That's how it is. We had our chance, but we didn't pull it off."

Said UH middle blocker Dejan Miladinovic: "We missed our ticket right here."

The Warriors were no match against UCLA, which has won 18 national titles, including five of the past eight.

"I think when we're put up to a wall, we get over it," UCLA middle blocker Adam Naeve said. "It's the UCLA tradition. We usually come through."

This time, the Bruins turned their offense outside-in to turn away the Warriors. In studying UH videotapes, the Bruins noticed that the Warriors try to set double blocks at the corners.

"We knew that we needed to go to the middle a lot more," UCLA middle blocker Scott Morrow said.

It was simple math. If the double blocks are on the outside, there is only one blocker left in the middle.

"Unless they were committing two guys, we knew they couldn't stop our middle," UCLA setter Rich Nelson said.

The 6-foot-10 Naeve hammered 19 kills, hit .517 and got his fingerprints on nearly every UH spike that crossed his airspace. Morrow buried 13 kills, with only one hitting error, and finished with a .522 hitting percentage.

"I don't really pay attention to the block," Naeve said. "I just go up and swing. If the block is there, they get me. No secret, really."

Naeve and Morrow repeatedly hit over the UH block, considered one of the best in the country. The average UCLA starting hitter is 6-8; UH's tallest player is the 6-7 Miladinovic.

Naeve and Morrow "can hit over any blocker," Nelson said. "I wanted to set them high. Sometimes, I thought I was setting them high enough, and they would scream, 'Higher.' It's an experience setting to them. It's like throwing a lob to Shaquillle O'Neal. They get up there and crush it."

The Warriors often hit long as they sustained six-point deficits in each of the first two games. UH libero Vernon Podlewski said they were too anxious.

"The energy was there, but we separated," Podlewski said. "We were trying to do too much."

During one timeout, Wilton implored his players to "tone it down. We needed a calm fury." Later, he said, "You're trying to burn gasoline you'll need down the line."

In the third game, Wilton altered the rotation, allowing Miladinovic to face Naeve. After UH dominated that game, UCLA coach Al Scates countered, starting Naeve in the back row for the fourth game.

"I didn't want to start him in the back, but I certainly didn't want the rotation that we had in the third game," Scates said.

The Warriors led briefly in the fourth game, but then the Bruins reclaimed the middle and, eventually, the momentum.

"They were consistent," Podlewski said of the Bruins. "They don't make many errors. They put the ball in play, even though they don't always hit it hard. It's much better than hitting it out or hitting it into the net. They were consistent, we weren't."

Match point came when UCLA outside hitter Matt Komer blocked a shot that fell softly between three Warriors, triggering a wild celebration in front of the Bruin bench.

At the other end, Tuyay covered his eyes with his hands, middle blocker Brenton Davis slumped against the wall and Miladinovic stared in disbelief.

Then, for the first time after a match this season, Wilton ordered his players to go to the locker room. In this fortress of solitude, Wilton thanked them.

Later, he said, "I'm real proud I can be a coach of these guys. ... It was an honor."